This is Money’s e-mail inbox frequently receives tales of renewal frustration. A recent example was a driver who received a renewal quote with her insurer for more than £500. When she went online, she managed to find a policy for little more than £200.

Shop around When renewals hit the doormat, drivers should see if they drive a better deal rather than accept it

Of the quarter of motorists who automatically renewed, the majority said they didn’t believe they could save money by shopping around, or else couldn’t be bothered to seek out a saving.

The research also found many motorists assume shopping around for car insurance once is enough.

One in five admit they have only looked for a better deal once, as they didn’t think they could make another saving the following year. London-based drivers are most likely to fall into this trap, with 31 per cent admitting they thought that way.

Kevin Pratt, car insurance expert at Moneysupermarket, said: ‘It’s a shame to see so many drivers blindly accept their insurance provider’s renewal quote instead of taking action to save cash on their cover. Motorists don’t even need to "drive" a hard bargain.

‘Average premium quotations are up to £220 less for those who shop around. It really pays to not just accept the renewal price quoted by your existing car insurer.

‘With a potential saving in the region of £200 it’s surely worth five minutes of anybody’s time?’

On average, motorists remain faithful to the same insurer for two and a half years, with the over 55s being the most loyal age group at 3.2 years.

Those aged 18-34 stick around on average for 1.9 years while it's 2.1 years for those aged 35-54.

Female drivers are more likely to switch insurer, averaging just two years with the same one, compared to three years for male drivers.

Regionally, London drivers are most likely to automatically renew their car insurance policies with 39 per cent sticking with the same provider.

Those living in the East Midlands are the savviest motorists, with only 15 per cent staying loyal to their existing insurer.

The research comes as the cost of car insurance has fallen in recent months, saving motorists an average of more than £100 on their bills, according to the AA.

The average premium was 16.6 per cent lower in the first three months of 2014 compared to the same period last year.

Motorists now pay an average of £531 a year for their motor insurance, according to AA’s average comprehensive motor insurance ‘shoparound’ figure.

Lee Griffin, car insurance spokesperson for Gocompare.com, said: ‘The great news for drivers is that there are potentially big savings to be made on car insurance at the moment.

‘When average prices are falling you need to shop around as it means certain insurers are cutting rates for new business.

‘As such, anyone with a policy due for renewal soon needs to get online and find the insurer that is prepared to offer them the cover they need at a good price, rather than just sitting back and relying on their existing insurer to automatically reward their loyalty with a lower premium.’